Method of waterproofing paper textile fabrics



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I 1 l l lllllllllll II II, b l l i I l l I l I l I I I I l l l l l I l l t l 1 I r l I ilk |||l|l||ll J. J. PETROSKE METHOD OF WATERPROOFING PAPER TEXTILE FABRICS Jan. 2, 1951 Filed July 13, 1945 INVENTOR. l/OHNMPETROJAE BY p 4- ATTORNEX Jan. 2, 1951 J. J. PETROSKE METHOD OF WATERPROOFING PAPER TEXTILE FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1945 MM 9 finial WM 5 E wan 1 x INVENTOR. UoH/v L/. PE 7/905/(5 w, w E 3 E H M a W A- mm W ATTORNEX Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES asses TENT OFFICE,

METHOD OF WATERPROOFING PAPER TEXTILE FABRICS Application July 13, 1945, Serial No. 604,756

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of waterproofing paper textile fabricsand more particularly those paper textile fabrics used to make cheap covering materials, slip covers, and the like.

Textile fabrics woven from twisted paper fibre strands are relatively cheap and durable and are adaptable for use in the manufacture of covering materials, such as slip covers, book covers, summer rugs, and the like.

Paper textile fabrics absorb moisture readily and deteriorate rapidly when damp. They lack lustre even when the strands are dyed in various colors, so that the fabric is dull and lifeless in eye-appearance. These limitations impair the usefulness of paper textile fabrics and greatly restrict the demand therefor. Applying a coating of the conventional lacquer (made by dissolving lac, shellac or the like, in a suitable solvent such as alcohol) to the fabric, imparts a glossy finish to the surface thereof thus bringing out the contrast between the colors and preventing them from fading. The lacquer coating also forms a transparent moisture-repellent washable surface from which dirt and grease can be readily removed. When the fabric is coated with lacquer on one side only it will still absorb moisture through the paper fibres of the untreated side. This causes the lacquered surface to scale and peel ofi. Lacquer is relatively expensive, and the cost of applying lacquer to both sides of the fabric causes a substantial increase in manufacturing cost over a similar fabric having a coating of lacquer applied to the right side only. This increase in the cost of manufacture is necessarily reflected in a substantial increase in the price of the material, which makes the fabric unsalable in competition with a fabric having a coating of lacquer on one side only. It also brings the fabric close to the price range of textile fabrics woven from other textile materials which do not deteriorate when damp and which give life to the colors when the materials are dyed, sothat a paper textile fabric coated with lacquer upon both sides is not economically practical because the market price thereof infringes upon the price range of textile fabrics woven from said moisture-resistant textile materials.

I have attempted to produce a low cost slip cover material which is moisture-repellent on both sides, by submerging the fabric in a liquid waterproofing agent to impregnate the body of the fabric. This waterproofing agent is relatively cheap, and the method of applying said agent is facture of the slip cover material. When however, the fabric is thus impregnated, the unattractive lifeless appearance of the colored twisted paper fibre strands is accentuated and it is not possible to apply a lacquer coating to bring out the colors, because the waterproofing agent has a deleterious action on lacquer. If lacquer is applied to the surface of the fabric after it has been impregnated with the waterproofing agent, the lacquer coating does not dry but remains soft and tacky, and the lacquer does not adhere as well as when it is applied directly to the fabric in the untreated state. subjecting the fabric to the waterproofing process after the lacquer has been first applied to one side of the fabric and allowed to dry is equally unsatisfactory, because the waterproofing agentsoftens the lacquer coating and otherwise impairs the finish.

One object of this invention is a process for waterproofing and lacquering textile materials and more particularly textile fabrics woven from twisted paper colored strands to produce an article having the combined advantages of both a waterproofed and lacquer finished textile fabric without any appreciable increase in the cost of production over a textile fabric lacquered upon one side only.

Another object is a process for waterproofing a textile fabric upon one side with a waterproofing agent which has a deleterious action on lacquer,

and thereafter lacquering the fabric upon its opposite and hitherto untreated side in such a manner as to avoid any deleterious effect by the Waterproofing agent upon the lacquer.

Other objects will appear from the detailed description which follows:

In the drawings comprising two sheets of four figures, numbered Figs. 1 to 4 both inclusive one embodiment of the invention is set forth.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of an apparatus for carrying out one step in the process;

Fig. 2 is a View of the top surface or right side of a piece of textile material showing a fragmentary View of the lacquer coating;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional enlarged view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a view of the reverse side or underside of a piece of textile material or fabric showing a fragmentary view of the moisture-repellent or waterproof coating.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

After the colored twisted paper fibre strands have been woven into a flexible fabric It (Fi 2), and before said fabric is processed as hereinafter described, the paper fibre warp threads ii and the paper fibre cross threads l2 may be considered to be (a) receptive to lacquer, in that if lacquer is applied to the fabric it adheres readily and dries quickly and (b) normally innocuous to lacquer, in that the normal qualities or properties of the lacquer are not deleteriously affected when the lacquer is applied to the fabric.

The waterproofing agent which isa gelatinous composition contains aluminum salts in a wax emulsion. Among the salts which may be used in the water-proofing agent is aluminum acetate. The water-proofing agent is reduced to an aqueous condition by the addition of preheated water and the composition is thoroughly-mixed in the water. Care should be taken to make sure that live steam is not used in mixing the waterproofing agent, because live steam impairs the efli ciency of the waterproofing agent and tends to reduce and destro its moisture-repellent qualities. The waterproofing agent contains aluminum salts in a wax emulsion. Among the salts which may be'used, is aluminum acetate.

The waterproofing agent id thoroughly with the preheated water, is introduced into the bath l5 until the rotary brush it is partially submerged in the liquid.

The woven fabric IE3 is fed over the rotary brush is in any suitable manner. A series of tension rollers iii-it, ll, l8 and 26 hold the fabric taut as it travels over and past the rotary As the woven fabric it moves across M the waterproofing .agent l4 brush IS. the rotary brush is applied to the adjacent and hitherto untreated surface of the woven fabric and the bristles of the rotary brush I?) carry the waterproofing agent i into all of the pores and crevices of the surface of the fabric, to thoroughly and completely coat the surface of the fabric with the waterproofing agent I i.

The fabric travels over a positive friction roll 22 made of wood, wh ch holds the fabric straight and keeps it in line in the machine. The correct tension is maintained by adjust ng the adiustable tension roll 2 i. As the woven fabric 5 t continues to advance its opposite surfaces are thoroughlv brushed by means of rotar brushes 2325 and rotary brush 25, to remove any sur rotatably driven by the power driven shaft 88.

The steam-jacketed compound leverage plates 3t sc of the steam-. acketed press hold the textile material against the fluted surface 39 of the steam-jacketed fiuted cylinder or drum 3!, causing the textile material to dry as the fluted cylinder draws it through the press. The compound leverage plates 3E-3i are adjustable relative to the fluted cylinder or drum 3!. The leverage plates press the fabric against the fluted surface 39 of the cylinder or drum 3! which draws the woven fabric ill around as the cylinder 35 rotates, so that upon leaving the cylinder press the textile fabric iii is thoroughly dry and both surfaces thereof are pressed smooth during the drying operation by the combined action of the leverage plates 3ll3i! and the drum 3|. When the textile material it emerges from the steamjacketed press it is pressed fiat and is thoroughly dry, and the waterproofing agent forms a waterrepellent coating it upon one surface of the fabric (Figs. 3 and 4).

The speed of the apparatus is such that the woven material it passes around the drum 3| where it is thoroughly dried before the waterproofing agent M can completely penetrate the entire body of the fabric Ill. Impregnation by the waterproofing agent is accordingly arrested by drying before said agent penetrates the paper fibre to a sufiicient depth to allow any component of the agent deleterious to lacquer to impair the aifinity for lacquer of the paper fibres adjacent to, or forming the surface of, the untreated or right side of the fabric. By applying the waterproofing agent 14 to the underside only of the fabric which is thus effectively made moisture-repellent and substantially waterproof, and then drying the body of the fabric to provide a substantial zone thereof (such as the zone indicated generally to the left of the broken line S-9 of Fig. 3) entirely free from the waterproofing agent M and therefore from any deleterious effect which might result from the impregnation of the paper fibres by the waterproofing agent I 4, the lacquer receptive and lacquer innocuous qualities of the untreated portion of the fabric, particularly of the untreated opposite surface thereof, are effectively preserved and remain unimpaired.

The woven material it should be kept moving through the steam-jacketed press at sufficient speed to prevent the high temperature of the press from scorching or burning the textile fabric. A steam pressure of 65 lbs. may be used. A press temperature of from 180 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, gives good results.

After leaving the cylinder press, the woven material it is further advanced in any suitable manner as by means of the power driven pickup roller 34 and a friction roller 35. The woven fabric I0 travels over the pickup roller 34 and is deposited in a portable mill truck 31, where it is arranged in accordion form, in a series of folded layers 35-36.

When a suitable length of the woven fabric 10 has been folded in the mill truck 31, it is transported in the truck to a conventional lacquering machine where lacquer is sprayed on the opposite and previously untreated surface of the fabric in by means of spray uns in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The lacquer dries quickly at ordinary room temperature to .form a surface coating it of clear lacquer upon that surface (Fig. 1) of the fabric which was not treated with the waterproofing agent 14. Since the surface to be lacquered has not been treated with the waterproofing agent 54, the said surface is still lacquer receptive and lacquer innocuous, so that the lacquer adheres readily and evenly and dries quickly at ordinary room temperature, thus producing a clear lacquered surface prevsenting a high gloss finish 13 to the right side of the fabric iii (Fig. 2). The coloring of the fibres is greatly enhanced by the transparent lacquer coating l3. In eye appearance the colored fibres are in marked contrast to the relatively lifeless appearance of the waterproofed surface M. This high gloss lacquered surface l3 also prevents the colors from fading. The flexibility of the fabric is not impaired by the presence of the coatings l3 and l 4 and the fabric may be folded and otherwise manipulated without rupturing of fiaking either of the coatings, or otherwise impairing their moisture-repellent properties.

After the lacquer coating is thoroughly dried, the finished woven fabric l0 may be measured and rolled up ready for shipment.

The woven fabric [0 may be manufactured into flexible slip covers for automobiles and summer furniture, book covers, summer rugs and the like, with the glossy lacquered side l3 displayed on the outside. The lacquered surface l3 and the waterproofed underside I4 both repel moisture and dampness, thus preventing the paper fibres or base material from absorbing moisture thereby avoiding deterioration of the twisted paper fibre strands which compose the base material, and prolonging the useful life of the woven material In and of any article of manufacture made therefrom.

The product manufactured in accordance with the process herein described, possesses all of the desirable properties and advantages, and eliminates all of the disadvantages, of a similar fabric which is either: lacquered upon one side and untreated upon the other, lacquered upon both sides, or treated upon both sides with a waterproofing agent. The textile fabric produced by this new process is ideally suited for use in the manufacture of removable slip covers, particularly slip covers for automobiles and summer furniture, because it is both commercially and economically practical, that is, it can be manufactured, used and sold to advantage in competition with other materials of the same general class but which lack all of the advantages described herein.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of waterproofing a textile fabric which is normally innocuous to lacquer, which includes the steps of applying a brush coating of a waterproofing agent containing aluminum acetate in a wax emulsion to one side of the fabric only, brushing the damp and dry sides of the fabric, arresting impregnation of the fabric by the waterproofing agent by drying the fabric in the presence of heat before complete impregnation takes place, spraying the untreated side of the dried fabric with lacquer under pressure, and allowing the lacquer coating to dry and form a flexible, transparent, glossy coating upon the fabric.

2. The method of treating a textile fabric woven from variously colored threads of twisted paper fibre which consists in brush coating the entire surface of one side of the textile fabric with an aqueous composition comprising aluminum acetate inv a wax emulsion, pressing and simultaneously drying the fabric in the presence of heat before said composition impregnates the fabric completely, and spray-coating the surface of the untreated side of the dried fabric with lacquer.

3. The method of treating a textile fabric woven from variously colored threads of paper fibre which consists in brush-coating the entire surface of one side of the textile fabric with an aqueous composition comprising aluminum acetate in a wax emulsion, pressing and simultaneously thoroughly drying the fabric in the presence of heat before said composition completely impregnates the fabric, spray-coating lacquer over the entire surface of the untreated side of the thoroughly dried fabric, and allowing said lacquered surface to dry.

JOHN J. PETROSKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 143,122 Clark Sept. 23, 1873 1,900,904 Berger Mar. 14, 1933 2,133,933 Daley Oct. 18, 1938 2,176,981 Smith et al Oct. 24, 1939 2,298,147 Miller Oct. 6, 1942 2,420,974 Petroske May 20, 1947 2,426,300 Edelstein Aug. 26, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 227,527 Great Britain Jan. 19, 1925 

1. THE METHOD OF WATERPROOFING A TEXTILE FABRIC WHICH IS NORMALLY INNOCUOUS TO LACQUER, WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF APPLYING A BRUSH COATING OF A WATERPROOFING AGENT CONTAINING ALUMINIUM ACETATE IN A WAX EMULSION TO ONE SIDE OF THE FABRIC ONLY, BRUSHING THE DAMP AND DRY SIDES OF THE FABRIC, ARRESTING IMPREGNATION OF THE FABRIC BY THE WATERPROOFING AGENT BY DRYING THE FABRIC IN THE PRESENCE OF HEAT BEFORE COMPLETE IMPREGNATION TAKES PLACE, SPRAYING THE UNTREATED SIDE OF THE DRIED FABRIC WITH LACQUER UNDER PRESSURE, AND ALLOWING THE LACQUER COATING TO DRY AND FORM A FLEXIBLE, TRANSPARENT, GLOSSY COATING UPON THE FABRIC. 